Filing-cabinet



c. B. ULRICH. FILING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 19W.

Patented June 17, 1919.

legit Emma 6M1 (Bl/0 BY vwm m A TTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT onnron- I CHARLES B. ULRICH, 0F JAMESTOWN,'NEW YORK.

FILING-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed July 25, 1917. Serial No. 182,764.

gle filing drawer or other detail construction forming a part of the entire filing system so that the cabinet constitutes a unit of such construction that a plurality of the units may be stacked one on the other and a plurality of stacks may be employed depending upon the capacity which the filing system must have.

By my invention I provide the top and bottom of the unit cabinet with a groove or grooves extending longitudinally of the cabinet, these grooves opening in the same direction and being similarly conformed so that when two or more of the units are stacked upon each other the walls of the grooves engages each other to prevent lateral displacement -of one unit relatively to the others in the same stack. I also preferably provide one or more of the grooves at its end with a projecting tongue for engaging the adjacent unit cabinet in a stack to prevent vertical separation of the units. This is particularly desirable when the drawers are somewhat heavily loaded to prevent the unit tilting toward the operator when the drawers are pulled out. The g'roovesreferred to are formed preferably by making the top and bottom of the unit cabinet of sheet metal having formed flanges extending downwardly from. the top and bottom, these flanges serving to reinforce and stiffen the top and bottom and the top flanges serving as slides for engaging the upper edge of the rear end of the drawer contained in a unit when the drawer is pulled out so that its center of gravity is outside of the unit casing. By mv invention I also provide an improved anti-friction device in the front end of the unit cabinet to constitute a bearing for the under surface of the drawer as it is moved into and out of the cabinet.

It is customary in making metal filing dewoes of this kind to form both the drawer and cablnet from thin sheet iron-or steel, the ends of the cabinet being usually reinforced in one manner or another by bars of iron or steel. The use of other metals for this purpose is prohibitive on account of their cost and it has been found that the rolled iron or steel parts usually employed develop a relatlvely large amount of friction on account of the tendency of the metals to cut or drag when rubbed upon each other. By my 1nvent1onI provide a bearing plate of brass or other metal having relatively small friction in connection with iron or steel so that the friction of the drawer sliding on the front end of the cabinet is reduced to a minimum.

v The several drawings illustrating my invention are as follows:

Figure 1 shows a cabinet unit in transverse vertical sectional view taken along the hue l1 1n Fig. 2,

Fig.2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the parts shown in Fig. 1 taken along the line 22,

Fig. 3 shows in plan view the lower portion of the front end of a cabinet unit, the remaining portion of the. unit being broken away,

Fig. 4 is a front endview of the cabinet un t shown in Fig. 2, the drawer contained insaid unit being shown in section taken along the line 4-4,

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the parts shown in Fig.3 taken along the line 5 5,

Fig. 6 shows in an enlarged detail view similar to Fig. 1 one of the rollers of the drawer, and,

Fig. 7 is a detailed view showing the manner of engagement between the bottom of one cabinet unit and the top of another cabinet unit when placed upon each other in a stack.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the unit consists'of a cabinet or casing having a top wall 10, side walls Hand 12 and a bottom wall 13 formed preferably from thin sheet iron or steel. As indicated in Fig. 2 the front and rear ends of the unit are reinforced by bent bars 14 and 15 respectively.

The top is provided with two upwardly opening grooves 16 extending from front to rear nearly the length of the unit, two similaiggrooves 17 being formed in the bottom'13 andsimilarly placed, the only diiference beinglthat the grooves 17 are somewhat narrowerthan the grooves 16 so that the outer surface of the walls of a groove 17 will fit into a groove 16 similarly located in the top of another unit. As indicated in Fig. 2 the lower wall of each groove 17 is extended into a tongue 18, which when two units are stacked one upon the other rests below the top 10 of the unit below it as indicated in Fig. 7.

The walls of the grooves 16 and 17 constitute downwardly extending flanges which serve to reinforce and strengthen the top and bottom of the cabinet unit and as a result of the conformation of the grooves described it will be observed that when one unit is stacked upon another the walls of the grooves, by their engagement, prevent lateral and longitudinal displacement of the stacked units relatively to each other and that the tongues 18 prevent vertical displacement of the units relatively to each other. 'hile I have shown two grooves 16 and two grooves 17 it will be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular number of grooves in the top and bottom for the purpose described as any number which ispractical or desirable for other considerations will serve to secure the interlocking relation referred to. In the inner lower corners of the cabinet unit bent guideways 19 are secured to support the rear end of the drawer 20 as the latter is moved outwardly and inwardly in the unit. Rollers 21 are provided at the rear end of the drawer to eliminate frictional engagement between the-rear portion of the drawer and the guideways. To reduce the friction of engagement of the drawer at its front end a bearing strip 22 of brass or othe material having a l g )y z ,cg9 efiicient of frictiom witlk iron ar steel "is placediupofi the lower'portion of the reinforcing bar 14:, which strip preferably extends entirely across the opening in the front end of the unit and is provided with rearwardly extending bent ends 23 to enter the forward ends of the space between the guideways 19 and the bottom of the unit. The bearing surface of the guideways 19 and the upper surface of the strip 22 are preferably substantially in the same plane. To assist in retaining the strip 22 in place lugs 24 may be bent upwardly from the bottom 13 of the unit to engage the edges of the bent ends 23. The construction of the strip 22 in the manner described permits placing it in the position indicated by slightly springing the parts after which it is securely held in place without additional fastening devices. While the strip 22 is shown in the drawings as extending entirely across the open end of the unit it may be replaced by any equivalent construction providing bearing surfaces of the character referred to in line with the portions of the drawer coming in frictional engagement with the lower front portion of the unit.

The rear wall of the drawer extends upwardly so that its upper edge is adjacent the inner surface of the flanges formed by the grooves 16, as a result of which said flanges serve as bearing surfaces for the upper portion of the rear end of the drawer when the drawer is moved from the unit sufficiently to bring the center of gravity of the drawer outside of the units. For this position of the parts the tongues 18 prevent the unit containing the extended drawer from tiltin over toward the operator when said unit is stacked upon another similar unit.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiments above described it will be understood that I do not limit myself to these exact constructions as I may employ any equivalents thereof known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a filing device, a cabinet unit having a sheet metal top and bottom provided with formed grooves extending longitudinally of said cabinet and opening in the same direction, the grooves being of a size such thatthe walls of a groove on the bottom of one such unit engage the walls'of a groove on the top of another such unit when the-units are stacked one on the other to prevent horizontal displacement of said units relatively to each other, said grooves extendin substantially from front to rear of said ca inet to reinforce the top and bottom thereof.

a filing device, a cabinet unit having a sheet metal top and bot-tom provided with formed grooves extending longitudinally of said cabinet and opening in the same direction, the grooves beingof a size such that the walls of a groove on the bottom of one such unit engage the walls of a groove on the top of another such unit when the units are stacked one on the other to prevent horizontal displacement of said units relatively to each other, one of saidgrooves having a tongue projecting from its rear end to engage the adjacent unit to prevent vertical separation of the stacked units when said walls are in engagement.

v 3. In a filing device, a cabinet unit having a sheet metal top andbottom provided with formed grooves extending longitudinally of said cabinet and opening in the same direction, the grooves being of a size such that the walls of a groove on the bottom of one such unit engage the walls of a groove on the top of another such unit when the units are stacked one on the other to prevent horizontal displacement of said units relatively to eachother, said grooves extending substantially from front to. rear of said cabinet to reinforce the top and bottom thereof, one of said grooves having a tongue pro ecting from its rear end to engage the adjacent unit to prevent vertical separation of the stacked units when said walls are in' engagement. 7

4. In a filing device, a cabinet unit having a sheet metal top and bottom provided with formed grooves extending longitudinally of said cabinet and opening upwardly, the grooves being of a size such that the Walls of a groove on the bottom of one such unit engage the walls of a groove on the top of another such unit when the units are stacked one on the other to prevent horizontal displacement of said units relatively to each other, said grooves extending substantially from front to rear of said cabinet-to reinforce the top and bottom thereof.

5. In a filing device, a cabinet unit having a sheet metal top and bottom provided with formed grooves extending longitudinally of said cabinet and opening upwardly, the grooves being of a size such that the walls of a groove on the bottom of one such umt engage the walls of a groove on the top of another such unit when the units are stacked one on the other to prevent horizontal displacement of said units relatively to each' other, a groove on the bottom of a first such unit having a tongue projecting from its rear end under the top of a second such unit to prevent vertical separation of the stacked units.

n 6. In a filing device, a calbinet unit having a sheet metal top and bottom provided with formed grooves extending longitudinally of said cabinet and opening upwardly, the

grooves being of a size such that the walls of a groove on the bottom of one suchnnit engage the walls of a groove on the top of another such unit when the units are stacked one on the other to prevent horizontal displacement of said units relatively to each other,said grooves extending substantially from front to rear of said cabinet to reinforce the top and bottom thereof, a groove on the bottom of a first such unit having a tongue projecting from its rear end under the top of a second such unit to prevent vertical separation of the stacked units.

7 In a filing device, a cabinet unit having a sheetmetal top and bottom provided with formed grooves extending longitudinally of said cabinet and opening upwardly,-'the groovgs jbeing of a size such that the walls of a greats on the bottom of one such umt engage the walls of a groove on the top of another such unit when the units are stacked one on the other to prevent horizontal displacement of said units relatively to each other, and a drawer movable longitudinally in said unit, said drawer having a rear wall extending nearly into engagement with the bottom wall of the groove in the top of said unit, whereby said bottom wall constitutes a slide for the rear endof the drawer when ing grooved flanges, said flanges being slmidevice, a cabinet having a adjacent the inner surface of a cabinet unithaving,

provided with an inwardly larly formed parallel with the sides of said unit, whereby when two such units are stacked, the bottom flanges on the upper unit engage the top flanges on the bottom :unit to prevent horizontal displacement of said units, each of said bottom flanges having a tongue projecting from its rear end engaging the under surface of the top of an adj acentunit when said units are stacked to prevent vertical separation of said units.

10."In a filing device, a cabinet uni-t hav-' ing a; sheet metal top and bottom each provided with a pair of'formed downwardly projectinggrooved flanges, said flanges being similarly formed parallel with the sides of said unit, whereby when two such units are stacked, the bottom flanges on the upper unit engage the top flanges unit to prevent horizontal displacement of said units, and a drawer movable longitudi nally in said unit, said drawer having a rear on the bottom wall extending nearly into engagement with said top flanges, whereby said top flanges constitute'slides for the rear end of said drawer when the. latter is moved into its outer position.

11. In a file, forcing'bar of iron or steel around its open end, and a strip of anti-friction metal carried by the lower portion of said bar for sliding engagement with a drawer, and hollow drawer guideways carried by said unit,

said strip having retaining ends extending 1 into the ends of said guideways.

12; In a file, a cabinet uni-t having a reinforcing bar of iron or steel around its-open end, and a strip of anti-friction metal car ried by'the lower portion of said bar for sliding engagement with a drawer, said strip having bent extensions engaging the rear a cabinet unit having a reinedge of said bar for holding said strip in strip havin retainin ends extending into place. the ends 01: said gui eways, said retaining 10 13. In a file, a cabinet unit having a rein ends being bent to engage the rear edge of forcing bar of iron or steel around its open said bar and thereby lock said strip in place.

5 end, and a strip of anti-friction metal carried In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe by the lower portion of said bar for sliding my name this 13th day of July, A. D. 1917.

engagement with a drawer, and. hollow drawer guideways carried by said unit, said CHARLES B. ULRICH. 

